mHealth application for improving treatment outcomes for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Vietnam: an economic evaluation protocol for the V-SMART trial.

Introduction: The Strengthen the Management of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Vietnam (V-SMART) trial is a randomised controlled trial of using mobile health (mHealth) technologies to improve adherence to medications and management of adverse events (AEs) in people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) undergoing treatment in Vietnam. This economic evaluation seeks to quantify the cost-effectiveness of this mHealth intervention from a healthcare provider and societal perspective.

Methods And Analysis: The V-SMART trial will recruit 902 patients treated for MDR-TB across seven participating provinces in Vietnam.

Harnessing new mHealth technologies to Strengthen the Management of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Vietnam (V-SMART trial): a protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remains a major public health problem globally. Long, complex treatment regimens coupled with frequent adverse events have resulted in poor treatment adherence and patient outcomes. Smartphone-based mobile health (mHealth) technologies offer national TB programmes an appealing platform to improve patient care and management; however, clinical trial evidence to support their use is lacking.

An Innovative Public-Private Mix Model for Improving Tuberculosis Care in Vietnam: How Well are We Doing?

To improve tuberculosis (TB) care among individuals attending a private tertiary care hospital in Vietnam, an innovative private sector engagement model was implemented from June to December 2018. This included: (i) Active facility-based screening of all adults for TB symptoms (and chest x-ray (CXR) for those with symptoms) by trained and incentivized providers, with on-site diagnostic testing or transport of sputum samples, (ii) a mobile application to reduce dropout in the care cascade and (iii) enhanced follow-up care by community health workers. We conducted a cohort study using project and routine surveillance data for evaluation.